Side-by-side distribution
Compliance
$138,750
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 38.1%
- Live roles
- 712
Paralegal
$82,319
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 42.9%
- Live roles
- 536
Highest-paying jobs
Regulatory & Security Compliance Manager
Compliance Analyst
Compliance Advisory Manager
Senior GRC Analyst
Chief Compliance Officer
Engineering Manager, GRC Platform
Engineering Manager, Fraud & Compliance
Chief Compliance Officer
Senior Manager, GRC Subject Matter Experts, Product
GRC Program Manager, US Government Compliance
Highest-paying jobs
Paralegal
Certified Paralegal
Corporate Paralegal - Chicago
Corporate Paralegal
Corporate Paralegal - Dallas
Corporate Paralegal - NYC
Assistant General Counsel, Legal & Business Affairs - Ad Tech & Media Transactions
Corporate Paralegal
Commercial Paralegal - Contracts Manager
Commercial Paralegal - Contracts Manager
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
The Symicor Group
|
$90,000 | 13 |
Coinbase
|
$185,833 | 6 |
Harvey
|
$234,500 | 4 |
iCapital
|
$162,500 | 4 |
Remote
|
$136,178 | 4 |
Whoop
|
$135,000 | 4 |
City Wide Facility Solutions
|
$46,800 | 4 |
Block
|
$214,700 | 3 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Modern Family Law
|
$67,600 | 19 |
Parnalllaw
|
$66,580 | 18 |
| WE Wilson Elser - Business & Legal Professionals | $75,000 | 15 |
Mandarich Law Group, LLP
|
$52,000 | 11 |
| BJ Brandon J. Broderick | $80,000 | 10 |
Barnes & Thornburg LLP
|
$91,380 | 8 |
Build My Great Team
|
$67,650 | 8 |
Morgan & Morgan, P.A.
|
$95,000 | 7 |
Compliance salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle | $182,575 | 14 |
| San Francisco | $176,654 | 34 |
| Los Angeles | $145,500 | 10 |
| New York | $145,000 | 44 |
| Boston | $134,968 | 10 |
| Denver | $110,640 | 7 |
| Chicago | $102,500 | 7 |
| Toronto | $87,500 | 5 |
| London | $74,011 | 8 |
Paralegal salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $99,000 | 13 |
| Boston | $95,410 | 4 |
| Los Angeles | $95,000 | 16 |
| Toronto | $89,421 | 8 |
| Seattle | $87,500 | 13 |
| New York | $82,500 | 37 |
| Chicago | $75,000 | 11 |
| Denver | $72,500 | 5 |
| Austin | $66,580 | 3 |
Compliance vs Paralegal: which pays more?
The median for Compliance is $138,750 per year (typically $97,500–$172,000), versus $82,319 for Paralegal ($66,580–$105,000). That puts Compliance about 69% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Compliance and Paralegal are compared on equal terms regardless of the currency each role was originally posted in. Only roles that publish a salary range feed the medians; numbers refresh every few hours as new roles post and older ones close, so this comparison reflects the market right now rather than a fixed survey. Use it as a directional benchmark when weighing one path against the other.